###Chapter 31: I’m Not Single
Nina Wainwright’s onboarding went smoothly. On her first night of work, she was assigned to a private room.
Another girl was assigned with her. She was very lively. As they were changing into their uniforms before heading to the room, the girl introduced herself. "My name is Tanya Thorne. What’s yours? Do you know your wines? If not, I’ll have to take you in a little early to familiarize you."
"I’m Nina Wainwright. You can call me Nina. There are a lot of wines I don’t recognize," Nina said, a little embarrassed.
"Are you a college student too?" Tanya Thorne asked curiously.
"No." Nina didn’t want to talk much about it, but Tanya, being a veteran employee here, understood immediately and didn’t press the matter.
The two of them entered private room 2888. Tanya Thorne pointed out the names and prices of the wines, telling Nina to memorize them. "Usually, rooms with three eights in the number are high-end rooms. The clients who come here are all very prominent. We have to be extremely careful. No matter what they say, you have to filter it out. Don’t look at them, either. Just focus on doing your job."
Nina hummed in acknowledgment, her heart growing a little more cautious.
Soon, the clients arrived.
Nina, dressed in a red velvet qipao, sat to one side. As soon as the clients came in and sat down, she immediately presented them with the drink menu.
Most of the men who came today were young. The one sitting closest to Nina, in particular, was sharply dressed in a suit. When he noticed her fair hands, long fingers, and neatly rounded nails, he couldn’t help but lift his eyes to look at her.
Nina’s long hair was tied in a bun at the nape of her neck, held in place by a simple wooden hairpin. A few stray strands had fallen loose.
The man studied her for a moment, then asked with a smile, "New here?"
Nina’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a calm and composed expression. "Yes."
The man flipped open the menu and asked casually, "With looks like yours, are you working here because your family is desperate for money?"
Tanya Thorne had told Nina she had to answer whatever they asked, whether she wanted to or not. That was just how it was in this line of work; if you were serving people, you had to have a service-oriented attitude.
"Yes. My father took out a loan, and now he’s sick in the hospital... so I need to come out and earn money," Nina replied with her head lowered.
She had graduated three years ago. For those three years, she had been by Zachary Hawthorne’s side, sheltered like a flower in a greenhouse.
𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
’Now I’m a waitress.’ Even if the man’s questions weren’t malicious, having to answer them still made her a little uncomfortable.
’But I won’t back down. I won’t let it be too hard for me.’
’This is what work is like. If I want freedom, I have to pay the price.’
"I see." The man stroked his chin, then ordered a hundred-thousand-yuan bottle of Hennessy, then added a few bottles of red wine that cost several thousand each. He handed the menu back to Nina. "Just these five bottles."
Nina took the drink menu and immediately got up to fetch the wine.
Tanya Thorne went with her to help.
When they reached the bar, Tanya’s voice was filled with envy. "This is the first time I’ve seen them order this much. That client is usually very moderate with his drinking. He’s a regular here, and he often makes a single bottle last for several visits."
Nina said, "Once I get the commission, I’ll give you some as a ’tuition fee.’ I’ll treat you to dinner when I have time, too."
Tanya Thorne immediately broke into a smile. "You’re too kind! We’re in the same room, of course we have to help each other out."
The two returned to the coffee table with the wine. Nina placed the bottles on the table one by one, then gently asked the man, "Sir, which bottle would you like to open first?"
"The Hennessy." The man answered, but his gaze was fixed on Nina’s face.
Her demeanor was gentle and pure. It was obvious she was a girl who hadn’t been tainted by the world, and her eyes were filled with innocence.
A few of the other men watching from the side were all smiling silently.
After Nina opened the bottle and poured him a glass, a man with a large head commented, "This is the first time I’ve seen Young Mr. Yardley so attentive. Does this little lady strike your fancy?"
Hearing this, Nina’s heart pounded with fear.
She was terrified of something messy happening, or of dealing with clients who had no sense of morality... Although she had mentally prepared herself before coming, hearing those words still made her worry.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! You’re scaring her," Mr. Yardley said, displeased.
Flustered, Nina quickly apologized, "No, no."
"My name is Evan Yardley. You can just call me Young Mr. Yardley," the man said gently to Nina.
Nina hummed in response and silently retreated to the side to sit down.
Evan Yardley didn’t make things difficult for her.
While they discussed work, Nina and Tanya Thorne sat off to the side.
A few of the other bosses also had Tanya order several bottles of wine. Although they weren’t expensive, the total still came to fifty thousand yuan.
’I can’t believe the tabs in these private rooms are so high.’ Nina was still amazed.
Nina didn’t understand what they were talking about, so she could only let her mind wander.
Not until Evan Yardley called her over to refill his drink did she hurry forward and pour him half a glass.
Two hours passed just like that. After they left, Nina couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Don’t be so scared. The clients in these high-end rooms are rarely classless. Unless they get drunk and horny, then they might get handsy. But I’ve only seen that happen two or three times, and if you call the manager, she’ll handle it," Tanya Thorne explained to Nina.
Nina nodded. "Thank you. This is my first time, so there’s a lot I don’t understand. I’ll need your help a lot."
Just as they finished talking, the manager’s call came in. Nina pressed the answer key.
"Come to my office. I need to talk to you." The manager’s tone was serious.
Nina’s heart sank. She was worried that Zachary Hawthorne had found her, but also afraid she had done something wrong and upset the clients.
After hanging up, she told Tanya Thorne, "The manager wants to see me..."
"If she asks you to switch to a room on the 6th floor or higher, don’t you dare agree. The money’s better up there, but... you have to ’accompany’ the clients, you know?" After saying this, Tanya urged her to go quickly.
Nina was filled with apprehension, but she still hurried over.
Arriving at the manager’s office, she pushed the door open and asked politely, "Manager... is there something you needed?"
"The client from just now was very satisfied with you. He’s booked private room 9888 and has specifically requested you for that room, starting tomorrow. What are your thoughts?" The manager didn’t get straight to the point, choosing to test the waters carefully first.
Nina immediately shook her head. "I’m still not very familiar with the work. I’d like to stay with Tanya and learn from her for a while longer."
"In the rooms on the sixth floor and above, you only serve one client. You become their exclusive attendant. You could make a commission of several hundred thousand in a single night. Are you sure you don’t want to consider it?" the manager continued.
Nina mulled it over for a moment, then asked, "Is it just about having the client order drinks? Are there no other duties?"
"It’s so expensive, what do you think? Young Mr. Yardley is single. You won’t be losing out by being with him. I hear you need money to pay back a loan. These days, loan sharks are not people you want to mess with. Do you really think they’ll give you time to earn it back slowly?" the manager said with a sigh.
"I’m sorry, he may be single, but I’m not. He’d be the one losing out. Manager, please turn him down for me," Nina replied softly.